East Lancs drugs plot gang jailed for nine years

FIVE members of a drugs gang connected with a plot to deal vast amounts of cannabis on the streets of Great Harwood are behind bars for more than nine years.

Burnley Crown Court how the 'hub' of the operation was a house in Noble Street, Great Harwood, where mother-of-four Margaret McGuire, 47, who owned it, lived with her sons Christopher, 24, and Jonathan Regan, 26.

Christopher Regan was described by the judge as the 'main man' in the plot, using his home as a base for receiving supplies of cannabis, preparing it and selling it on the streets.

Regan, who had 11,514 incoming calls and texts in 10 weeks on the two dealer phones he used to take orders, was jailed for four years.

The hearing was told how McGuire knew what was going on. She stood right next to Christopher Regan doing the washing up as he prepared street deals in the kitchen. Two children also lived at the house.

Layton Beech, 22, kept a stash of cannabis at his home, prepared some of the street deals and carried out street deals as well.

Zain Ahmed, 20, and ex-soldier Brandon Scott, 19, were said to be street dealers.

Nasar Kabel, 31, supplied 37 prepared bags of drugs – 52.7 grams – which he had packaged, to Christopher Regan and was involved to pay off gambling debts.

Yasir Hussain, 25, his bother, was the driver who took him. The court heard how the defendants were arrested after police carried out surveillance on the house in Noble Street and also observed drug deals.

On the same day the Regans and another man went to Albert Street and stopped near where the raid had been carried out. Later that evening, Christopher Regan took delivery of a large bag of cannabis.

Beech, of Warwick Close, Church, Christopher Regan and Jonathan James Regan, of Noble Street, Scott, of Windsor Road, and Zain Ahmed, 19, of St Hubert's Road, all Great Harwood, all admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis, between June and August last year. McGuire pleaded guilty to permitting premises to be used for the supply of cannabis. Kabel, of St Cecilia Street and Hussain, of St Edmund Street, Great Harwood, each admitted supplying cannabis. Jonathan Regan was jailed for two years, Beech for 16 months and Ahmed 12 months.

Scott received a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work, Kabel was jailed for 10 months, Hussain received a 12 month supervision order and McGuire was given 18 weeks’ custody, suspended for a year.

Passing sentence, Judge Beverley Lunt told McGuire she had exposed the children to seeing drugs being prepared, adding: “That's not how a mother behaves.”